This invention relates to needle guards for sewing machines and more particularly to a device for preventing interference between the needle and the loop seizing beak of the rotary loop taker during the sewing operation. As is known, the needle will follow a reciprocatory path during the sewing operation and the needle will pass in close proximity to the beak of the rotary loop taker. In the event that the needle may become bent or deflected by irregularities in the material and such, the needle may strike the beak of the rotary loop taker and result in a scoring of the beak or a breakage of the needle. It is known in the art to provide needle guards for preventing these occurrences which needle guards are inserted during the assembly of the machine and are adjusted along with the loop taker to provide the proper angular relationship between the hook, the needle guard and the needle. It is also known to provide fixed needle guards which are inserted after formation of the rotary loop taker, which type of needle guards require substantial machining of the rotary loop taker as well as assembly time. It is also known to provide other types of adjustable needle guards such as those formed by wires or the like inserted in the rotary loop taker, as for example shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,519, issued on May 11, 1976, issued to the same Assignee as the present invention. Reference should also be made to U.S. Pat No. 2,883,953, issued on Apr. 28, 1959, for another loop taker needle guard of the type referred to above.
Although the needle guards of the prior art referred to above, as well as others, have operated substantially satisfactorily, they very often require accuracy in machining and substantial assembly time during assembly of the sewing machine. In accordance with the present invention, a needle guard is provided which is formed by relatively simple machining of the rotary loop taker and which does not require a great degree of accuracy. The needle guard is adjustable so as to provide for discrepancy between the relationship of the needle in its operating path and the loop seizing beak so as to prevent any interference between these elements.